Since the dawn of civilization, carbohydrate-containing foods have been a staple in man's diet. Today, carbohydrate-containing foods such as breads, breakfast cereals, biscuits, crackers, cookies, French fries, cooked starchy vegetables, taco shells, and snack foods are popularly consumed. Many of these carbohydrate-containing foods are corn-based or contain corn-based ingredients. Although such corn-based food products have been part of the human diet for countless years, researchers have only recently discovered that many of these foods contain acrylamide.
In April 2002, the Swedish National Food Administration and researchers from Stockholm University announced their findings that acrylamide, a potentially cancer-causing chemical, is formed in many types of cooked foods. Acrylamide has a carcinogenic potency in rats that is similar to that of other carcinogens in food, but for humans, the relative potency in food is not known. Only limited human population data are available for acrylamide and these provide no evidence of cancer risk from occupational exposure. (FAO/WHO Consultation on the Health Implications of Acrylamide in Food: Summary Report; Geneva, Switzerland, 25-27 Jun. 2002.)
Although further research is needed to assess what health effects, if any, may result from human consumption of acrylamide at the levels commonly found in such foods, many consumers have voiced concern. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for reducing the level of acrylamide in corn-based foods. It is also an object of the present invention to provide corn-based food products having reduced levels of acrylamide. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an article of commerce that communicates to the consumer that a corn-based food product has reduced or low levels of acrylamide.